Enhanced Footwear

ABSTRACT

Improved and enhanced footwear is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers a fastening mechanism and/or a compartment for holding certain items. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear comprises a compartment with a tracking chip, which may be removable. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear comprises a sole with grooves designed to facilitate safer walking and/or drying. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers various methods of attaching the pair of footwear together. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers certain lighting and notification features.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to footwear and various enhancements thereto.

BACKGROUND

As is generally well known, elements of nature have posed, and continueto pose, certain challenges and dangers to human beings. Rain, wind, andsnow can be inconvenient in better times, and deadly in the worst. Toprotect themselves from the elements, people have developed variousdevices throughout the court of mankind's development. For example,people have learned to make clothes to shield themselves from the cold,and headwear to protect themselves from inclement weather.

Footwear comprises a vital component of human wear that can be tracedback thousands of years. Early footwear included animal hides or cloththat would be wrapped around a human's foot. As time went on, andmanufacturing capabilities improved, footwear became more comfortableand in certain circumstances specialized, such as construction shoeswith steel toes, or Olympian sprinter shoes that weigh only severalounces.

However, while modern footwear has advanced significantly over the earlyattempts, most of the development efforts have focused on the structuraldesign of shoes, to make footwear more durable or lighter, and on theirappearance, from a fashion perspective. Until the present application,little effort has been offered to make footwear into a functional devicethat offers utility beyond comfort and protection of feet from theelements. For example, footwear is not used as a vessel to carry variousitems that by themselves, or in combination with the footwear, offerunique functionality for their owner. Further, no significant progresshas been made with respect to fastening and/or tracking pairs offootwear. Moreover, little advancement has been made with respect to thedesign of footwear that comes in contact with water in order to providemore safety to its owner, and to offer quicker drying properties.

Accordingly, there exists a need for footwear that offers advantagesover currently existing products, including in one or more of the abovenoted areas.

SUMMARY

Generally, the presently disclosed invention is footwear enhanced tooffer certain features in various embodiments. In one embodiment, thepresently disclosed footwear offers a fastening mechanism and/or acompartment for holding certain items. In another embodiment, thepresently disclosed footwear comprises a compartment with a trackingchip, which may be removable. In another embodiment, the presentlydisclosed footwear comprises a sole with grooves designed to facilitatesafer walking and/or drying. In another embodiment, the presentlydisclosed footwear offers various methods of attaching the pair offootwear together. In another embodiment, the presently disclosedfootwear offers certain lighting and notification features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of footwear comprising a fasteningmechanism and a storage compartment therein.

FIG. 1B illustrates another view of the storage compartment from FIG. 1Awith an item stored therein.

FIG. 2A illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising a storagecompartment and an item to be stored therein.

FIG. 2B illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising a storagecompartment and an alternative item to be stored therein.

FIG. 3 illustrates the front view of footwear comprising a sole withseveral grooves.

FIG. 4A illustrates a front cross-section view of a first embodiment ofa sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4B illustrates a front cross-section view of a second embodiment ofa sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4C illustrates a front cross-section view of a third embodiment ofa sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4D illustrates a front cross-section view of a fourth embodiment ofa sole with several grooves.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first embodiment of footwear comprising a trackingchip and a compartment therefor.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an illuminationsystem.

FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of footwear comprising a trackingchip and a compartment therefor.

FIG. 8 illustrates a first embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 10 illustrates a third embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 11 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an attachmentsystem and a storage compartment.

FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising anattachment system and a storage compartment.

FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an attachmentsystem and a tracking chip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, the presently disclosed invention is footwear enhanced tooffer certain features in various embodiments. For the purpose ofbrevity and convenience, various embodiments of the present inventionmay be referred to as “footwear” herein. Further, in the preferredembodiments, and as illustrated in the Figures, the inventions areapplied to “sandals,” also referred to as “thongs” or “flip flops.”Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention may also bereferred to as “sandals” herein. However, naming conventions, as usedherein, are not intended to narrow the scope of the present invention,and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the inventionsdisclosed herein are also applicable to other types of footwear,including boots, slippers, sneakers, dress shoes, and others.

The enhancements disclosed herein generally relate to three areas ofimprovements in footwear: utility, safety, and attachment. As usedherein, utility enhancements generally refer to features that offeradditional uses and functionality to the user of the disclosed footwear.Safety enhancements refer to the safety features added pursuant to thedisclosed invention. Attachment features refer to the improved footwearattachment, storage, and/or carrying features disclosed herein.

Turning to the utility enhancements, FIGS. 1A-2B illustrate variousembodiments and implementations of a sandal comprising a storagecompartment and fastening mechanisms used therein. A major inconvenienceexperienced by beach and pool visitors is the lack of good storageoptions for small, yet important, items such as keys, access cards,membership cards, other cards, and other small items. Thus, for example,beach visitors frequently resort to inconvenient methods of carryingkeys and credit cards, such as attaching the items to lanyards orbracelets, or bringing large empty book bags for the simple purpose ofcarrying a small item. The invention disclosed herein, including theembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2B solve this problem.

In FIG. 1A, sandal 1000 is shown in a perspective view from the bottomof the sandal. Here, sandal 1000 has a storage compartment 1010,designed to house an item such as card 1030. In the illustratedembodiment, card 1030 is fastened to the sandal by two flaps 1020. Flaps1020 are preferably rigid in order to store the item safely in thestorage compartment, although some flexibility in the flaps may bepermitted for easier ingress and egress of item 1030. The sandals areshown with optional grooves 1040, which may be of a different patternsor shapes as recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 1B shows sandal 1000 with card 1030 (shown with a dashed line)stored inside storage compartment 1010. As illustrated here, thefastening mechanism comprises two additional storage flaps 1050 notshown in FIG. 1A, positioned perpendicularly to flaps 1020. Depending onthe configuration, four storage flaps may offer a more secure housingenvironment than two flaps, but inserting and removing items into thestorage compartment may be more difficult with additional flaps.However, for certain items, such as card 1030 that meets the size andshape of storage compartment 1010, two flaps are sufficient to securethe item.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, if viewed from the side of sandal1000, card 1030 is stored above the storage flaps 1020, inside storagecompartment 1010, with the flaps applying pressure to card 1030 to keepit flush with the upper surface of storage compartment 1010. In analternative embodiment, the item, such as card 1030, may be securedinside a storage compartment by prongs extending from the sides ofstorage compartment 1010 that apply pressure to the sides of card 1030,instead of its top or bottom surfaces.

FIG. 2A illustrates an alternative embodiment of a sandal with a storagecompartment. Here, sandal 1000 comprises a storage compartment 1110 witha door 1120 instead of storage flaps 1020. For storage or carrying, item1130 is positioned inside compartment 1110, and door 1120 is closed. Aswill be understood, when closed, door 1120 may be fixed to the sandalvia a fastening mechanism such as a magnet, a clip, or other means. FIG.2B illustrates one application of the sandal from FIG. 2A. In FIG. 2B,item 1130 is a holder configured to retain a key 1140. When the userslides key 1140 into the holder 1130, as illustrated by the dashedlines, the user may then slide the holder into storage compartment 1110and close the door 1120.

In another embodiment, certain features illustrated in embodiments shownin FIGS. 1A-2B may be combined. For example, item 1130 from FIGS. 2A-2Bmay be fastened to the sandal as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B. Inaddition, door 1120 from FIGS. 2A-2B may be used in addition to thefastening mechanism from FIGS. 1A-1B. Moreover, card 1030 may be storedin the compartment shown in FIGS. 2A-2B instead of item 1130. In otherembodiments, card 1030 and/or item 1130 may be equipped withelectronics, such as a GPS chip, a computer chip for storing certaininformation, and/or RFID technology. As referred to herein, GPS refersto a satellite based tracking system, such as the Global PositioningSystem (GPS), or its alternatives, including the GLONASS system.

Turning to a feature designed to improve comfort and safety of theperson wearing the sandal, FIGS. 3-4 illustrate a drainage systemcomprising several grooves. It is well recognized that sandalsfrequently encounter wet conditions, and wet sandals may lead todangerous accidents, such as slips and falls. Moreover, wearing wetfootwear is rarely considered to be a pleasant experience. Theseconcerns are addressed by the following embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the front of thedisclosed sandal 3000. Also shown in FIG. 3 are the bottom portion ofthe sandal 3010 and top portion 3020. Rectangle 3030 is used toillustrate a placeholder described further in the specification. Lines3040 are used to indicate the cross-sectional area illustrated in FIGS.4A-4D. FIGS. 4A-4D are cross-sectional illustrations of variousembodiments of the bottom portion of the sandal. It will be understoodthat the bottom portion of the sandal may be of various shapes andconfigurations, and FIGS. 4A-4D focus on various groove embodiments ofthe drainage system.

The drainage system, comprising of several grooves arrangedlongitudinally in the bottom portion of the sandal, solves severaldeficiencies of presently existing sandals. First, in the preferredembodiment, the grooves collect water in wet conditions, therebyremoving excess water from the top of the sole. Second, in the preferredembodiment, the grooves run across the entire length of the sandal,culminating in cut-out openings at the front of the sandal, asillustrated in FIG. 3. This allows the water to drain out of the sandalthrough the grooves. By removing excess water from the top of thesandal's sole, the person wearing the sandal becomes less prone to slipon the wet sandal. To increase the anti-slip effectiveness of thesandal, the sole of the sandal may also be made of various rubberizedmaterials, and/or with different textures designed to increase grip withthe foot.

The grooves may be of various shapes, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D. InFIG. 4A, grooves 4010 are semicircular in their cross-section. In FIG.4B, grooves 4020 are trapezoidal in their cross-section. In FIG. 4C,grooves 4010 are triangular in their cross-section. In FIG. 4D, grooves4010 are rectangular in their cross-section. Although in the preferredembodiment sandal's grooves are semi-circular, or round, various othershapes may be used as shown above to increase safety, improve draining,and/or decrease manufacturing costs.

In another embodiment of the present invention, one or more surfaces ofthe sandals are covered with a cooling gel. In the preferred embodiment,a layer of cooling gel is applied to the surface of the sole supportingthe foot, and also to the straps of the sandal interfacing the foot. Inthis configuration, all surfaces of the sandal that touch the human footare covered with cooling gel, and provide a variety of benefits to theowner, such as cooler temperatures, pain relief, and anti-inflammatoryproperties.

In the preferred embodiment the sandals are constructed of lightweightmaterials, such as rubberized plastic. Depending on the mechanisms andfeatures selected, the sandals may be made of, or include, othermaterials, such as leather, neoprene, petroleum, memory foam, polyester,polymers, and vulcanized and other rubbers. Other sandal materials mayinclude cotton, wool, silk, metals, animal skins, faux leathers, furs,and faux furs.

Turning to another utility improvement, FIGS. 5 and 7 illustratelocation-tracking embodiments of the disclosed sandals. In FIG. 5,sandal 2000 is shown with the front portion cut off at line 5030. Inthis embodiment, the sandal comprises a location-tracking device 5020,which is inserted into holding compartment 5010. Tracking device 5020may be a GPS chip, an RFID tag, or another type of tracking technology.The sandal may optionally comprise other components of alocation-tracking system, not shown in the figure, such as a cellulartower transceiver and antenna, or a Bluetooth module for connectivity toa mobile phone or other device. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, thetracking device is inserted into holding compartment 5010. In thepreferred embodiment, the tracking device is locked in the holdingcomponent using a fastening mechanism. One of ordinary skill in the artwill recognize that the fastening mechanism may be spring-loaded orlatch based, similar to mechanisms used to accept MicroSD cards bymobile devices.

In FIG. 5, the tracking device and holding compartment appear in theheel portion of the sandal. Depending on the type of footwear, the heelportion may support the most weight and experience the most pressure.Accordingly, the holding compartment may be hardened to withstand theforce exerted on it by feet, in order to safeguard the tracking device.It will be understood that, for various types of footwear, it may bepreferable to move the holding compartment to a different location. InFIG. 7, holding compartment 5010 appears closer to the middle of sandal5000 as viewed from the side, at the location where the human footordinarily arches up. In this embodiment, the holding compartment, andtracking device 5020, are placed in a location with minimal expectedforce from the human foot. It will be understood that the trackingdevice may be positioned in other areas of the sandal, including, forexample, inside strap 5030. The ability to track footwear offers anumber of utility functions, including tracking steps walked or run forfitness purposes, the location of the shoes themselves in case of lossor misplacement, and the ability to track the person wearing the shoe,which would be a welcome advantage for parents wanting to track theirchildren's whereabouts.

In another embodiment, the sandals disclosed herein offer various usefullighting options. One embodiment of a sandal configured with lights isillustrated in FIG. 6. Here, sandal 6000 is equipped with arrays oflights 6010 embedded into the outer facing surfaces of upper portion6020 and lower portion 6030. Rectangle 6040 is a placeholder, similar to3030, further described below. Lights 6010 are preferably LED lights,although other lighting technologies may also be employed. Lights 6010are also preferably capable of glowing in different colors. Thedisclosed lighting system offers significant functionality to the sandalowner. In one embodiment, the lights may be configured to turn on andoff periodically, which may be useful to people walking around at nightas a safety feature. In another embodiment, the lights may be configuredto turn on and off in a specific pattern or color as a notificationoption for incoming messages, emails, or voice mails, which may beuseful for sandals paired to a mobile device. Here, for example, thesandal may flash in short bursts of blue to indicate that an incomingFacebook message is waiting on the user's phone. In another embodiment,the lights may be configured to show a pattern of colors depending onthe user's fitness activity for the day. Thus, for example, the lightsmay glow in a red color in the morning, and as the user gets closer tothe walking distance goal for the day, the lights may turn toward agreen color. Other light configurations are possible with the disclosedsystem, including configurations related to locations, notifications,nearby friends, emergencies, and others.

In the preferred embodiment, footwear equipped with lighting andlocation tracking systems comprises a computer controller. Thecontroller may be a programmable microprocessor, or a specificallydesigned chip. In certain embodiments, the controller may be afield-programmable gate array, or other types of embedded controllers.The controller may, depending on the sandal's configuration, becomprised of several subsystems, such as the lighting control system orcontroller, and the location tracking system or controller. In certainembodiments, the various controllers used in the sandal are programmablevia a wireless connection, through a specially adapted softwareapplication, or a website interface. The disclosed sandal is preferablyconfigured with a battery used to power the lighting and microprocessorsystems, and optionally the location tracking and other systemsdisclosed herein. In other embodiments, the sandal may offer a kineticcharging option, where the user's movement and pressure on the sole ofthe sandal generates electricity used to power the various onboardcomponents.

Rectangles 3030 and 6040 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, respectively, are usedto illustrate placeholders for decorative elements or design componentsthat may be used in one or more embodiments of the present invention.For example, the sandals disclosed herein may be constructed with athree (or two) dimensional design component, positioned a the top of thestraps. The design component may be, for example, a duck, piglet, eagle,bear, robot, or other feature. In various embodiments, the designcomponents may be constructed as part of the sandal, or they may beattachable through a latch, clip-on, and/or a magnetic mechanism.

Turning to footwear storage features, it is well recognized that peopleare prone to misplace one, or both, pairs of footwear—either due tochildren playing at home, a mischievous pet, such as a dog, or simplydue to a lack of concentration and forgetfulness. It is therefore oneaspect of the present invention to offer convenient storage and/orcarrying options for footwear. FIGS. 8-11 illustrate various mechanismsfor attaching two pairs of sandals together, although the mechanisms areequally applicable to other types of footwear.

In FIG. 8, sandals 8010 and 8020 are held together by strings 8030. Asshown, the sandals owner ties the strings together in order to hold thepair of footwear together. Other attachment options are available,including strings with buttons at the ends which can be used to clip thetwo strings together. Turning back to FIG. 8, strings 8030 are attachedto the sandals via spring mechanisms 8040. Spring 8040 is designed topull string 8030 inside the sandal through opening 8060. Thus, if thestrings are not tied together, the strings don't dangle outside of thesandal. Preferably, strings 8030 have a stopper mechanism at theprotruding end in order to prevent the string from being pulled entirelyinside sandals 8010 and 8020. Furthermore, when the strings are attachedto each other, spring mechanisms 8040 pull strings 8030 inside thesandals, bringing both sandals closer together, and making them easierto carry, or to hang up by the strings. In the illustrated embodiment,dashed rectangular boxes 8050 illustrate a mechanism for holding springelements 8040 inside the sandals.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of a footwear attachmentmechanism. Here, sandals 8010 and 8020 are held together by strings8030, which protrude from the sandals through openings 8060, similarlyto FIG. 8. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the stringretraction mechanism is not a cylindrical shaped spring positionedlongitudinally inside the sole of the sandals as in FIG. 8. Rather,here, springs 8070 are wound concentrically around an axis 8075positioned orthogonally to the plane of the sole of the sandal. Stateddifferently, the axis around which springs 8070 are wound projectsupward from the sheet of paper on which FIG. 9 appears. In the preferredembodiment, wound springs 8070 are approximately the size of a U.S.quarter. As noted previously with reference to FIG. 8, strings 8030 maybe tied together as shown in FIG. 9, or they may be attached by adifferent mechanism, such as buttons or clips.

FIG. 10 illustrates a third embodiment of a footwear attachmentmechanism. Here, sandals 8010 and 8020 may be attached together by lowermagnets 8080 and upper magnets 8090. To carry, or store, the sandals, aperson would position the bottom plane of sandal 8010 against the bottomplane of sandal 8020. Once so positioned, depending on the strength ofmagnets 8080 and 8090, the magnet on one sandal would attract the magnetpositioned opposite itself, and pull and hold the two sandals together.In other embodiments, certain “docking” mechanisms could be built intothe sandals, such as grooves or locks, to make sure that the sandalswould stay attached after the magnets attract. It should be noted thatin the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, circles 8095 show the connectionpoint of foot straps with the bottom portion of the sandal. It will beunderstood that in another embodiment, the foot straps may be moldeddirectly to the bottom portion of the sandal without penetrating thebottom layer. In other embodiments, the entire sandal may bemanufactured as a unitary mold.

FIG. 11 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a footwear attachmentmechanism. Here, sandals 8010 and 8020 are attached together by a“button” mechanism, which comprises of a “male” button 1120 and “female”button 1130. To attach, and carry, the sandals together, a person wouldclick male button 1120 into female button 1130.

One feature of the present invention is the ability to combine theabove-described footwear mechanisms and features to produce footwear invarious configurations. Various combinations of mechanisms and featuresdescribed above are illustrated in FIGS. 12-14. These combinations areused for exemplary purposes only, and one of ordinary skill in the artwill understand that other combinations are possible.

FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an attachmentsystem 1210 (similar to that shown in FIG. 8) and storage compartments1220. Compartments 1220 may be used to store cards, smart cards, keys,and other items as noted above. In the alternative, or in combination,compartments 1220 may be used to house the location-tracking componentsdiscussed above. FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of footwearcomprising an attachment system 1310 (similar to that shown in FIG. 9)and storage compartments 1220 from FIG. 12. FIG. 14 illustrates oneembodiment of footwear comprising “female” button, which serves as onepart of an attachment system, and a tracking chip 1420. The abovecombinations illustrate several ways to combine the mechanisms andfeatures disclosed herein.

The foregoing description of the various and preferred embodiments ofthe present invention has been presented for purposes of illustrationand explanation. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit theinvention to the specifically disclosed embodiments. The embodimentsherein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles ofthe invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling othersskilled in the art to understand and practice the invention. However,many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled inthe art, and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention,claimed as follows.

What is claimed is:
 1. Enhanced footwear comprising: a top portion,wherein the top portion is configured to secure a human foot to theenhanced footwear; a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion isconfigured to provide support for a human foot and wherein the bottomportion is attached to the top portion; and a compartment configured tohold a removable item using an attachment mechanism.
 2. The enhancedfootwear of claim 1, wherein the enhanced footwear is a sandal.
 3. Theenhanced footwear of claim 2, wherein the enhanced footwear isconstructed as a unitary mold.
 4. The enhanced footwear of claim 1,wherein the compartment is a rectangular cutout in the bottom surface ofthe bottom portion of the enhanced footwear, and wherein the attachmentmechanism comprises two or more prongs positioned inside thecompartment.
 5. The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein the removableitem is a card-shaped object.
 6. The enhanced footwear of claim 1,wherein the removable item is a carrier configured to accept a key. 7.The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of theenhanced footwear comprises a cooling material.
 8. Enhanced footwearcomprising: a top portion, wherein the top portion is configured tosecure a human foot to the enhanced footwear, and wherein the topportion comprises a volumetric design component; a bottom portion,wherein the bottom portion is configured to provide support for a humanfoot, and wherein the bottom portion comprises one or more groovespositioned at the upper surface of the bottom portion and configured todrain liquid from the upper surface of the enhanced footwear; a locationtracking system positioned inside the bottom portion of the enhancedfootwear.
 9. The enhanced footwear of claim 8, wherein the locationtracking system is a global positioning system (GPS) device.
 10. Theenhanced footwear of claim 9, wherein the location tracking system isremovable.
 11. The enhanced footwear of claim 8, further comprising: oneor more lights positioned on the outer surface of the enhanced footwear.12. The enhanced footwear of claim 11, further comprising: a wirelessinterface module configured to connect to a mobile device and receiveindications of incoming mobile device communications; and a lightingcontrol system, wherein the lighting control system is configured toactivate the one or more lights in response to the received indicationsof incoming mobile device communications.
 13. The enhanced footwear ofclaim 11, further comprising a lighting control system, wherein thelighting control system is configurable by a user via a wirelessconnection.
 14. Enhanced footwear comprising: a top portion, wherein thetop portion is configured to secure a human foot to the enhancedfootwear; a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion is configured toprovide support for a human foot; and a footwear attachment mechanism,wherein the footwear attachment mechanism is configured to attach a leftfootwear to a right footwear.
 15. The enhanced footwear of claim 14,wherein the footwear attachment mechanism comprises: one or more magnetsarranged on the bottom surface of the bottom portion of the enhancedfootwear.
 16. The enhanced footwear of claim 15, further comprising adocking structure, wherein the docking structure guides the footwearinto a pre-configured magnetic attachment position.
 17. The enhancedfootwear of claim 14, wherein the footwear attachment mechanismcomprises: an opening in the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear; aspring loaded retraction mechanism positioned inside the bottom portionof the enhanced footwear; and a string, wherein one end of the string isconnected to the spring loaded retraction mechanism and the other end ofthe string extends outside of the bottom portion of the enhancedfootwear through the opening.
 18. The enhanced footwear of claim 14,wherein the footwear attachment mechanism comprises: one or morebuttons, wherein the mounting side of the button is attached to an outersurface of the enhanced footwear, and the connection side of the buttonfaces outward from the footwear.
 19. The enhanced footwear of claim 14,further comprising a volumetric design component positioned at the topportion of the enhanced footwear.
 20. The enhanced footwear of claim 19,wherein the volumetric design component is removable from the enhancedfootwear.